Dementieva Upset, Others Dominate

Sports Betting News - September 5th, 2009 - Written by John

So far, so good for the U.S. Open's top-seeded players. On a day peppered with celebrities like Jeremy Piven, Andre Agassi and Alec Baldwin, the most popular faces in tennis are still alive in New York, trickling their way to a highly-anticipated cluster in the final rounds.

Dozens of recognizable faces were in attendance for Day 4; some there to enjoy themselves, others there to be enjoyed. Agassi, along with soccer star Mia Hamm, NBA celebrity David Robinson and former NFL player Doug Flutie were showcased in the tournament's ceremonies, while others like Christie Brinkley and fashionista Oscar de la Renta remained in the seats as spectators.

What they saw was sheer domination by the world's finest.

Andy Roddick blew past his second round opponent, Marc Gicquel, with power Thursday night, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. It was the fourth time in a row that Gicquel was stymied by Roddick. The fifth-seeded player had 13 aces in the match and didn't double fault once. He came through in break opportunities as well, converting four of his five chances on the night.

Fellow American James Blake kept his title hopes alive, rebounding to win his second round match against Belgium's Olivier Rochus. Blake was able to blast 21 aces to recoup the damage created by 53 unforced errors, advancing with a 6-4,3-6, 7-6 (6), 6-3 win.

"That's a great feeling," Blake said on USOpen.org. "To know you can get through a match like that. I feel confident about a close match.”

Top-ranked Roger Federer also survived a battle against Simon Greul. Despite winning in straight sets, Federer was pushed to the limits of the final two sets, winning 6-3, 7-5, 7-5.

The only real upset has been on the women's side, where Melanie Oudin stunned fourth-seeded Elena Dementieva Wednesday night. The 17-year old Oudin, from Marietta, Ga., was overwhelmed by the victory, so much so that she teared up and almost let the match slip out of her grip.

"First time playing on Arthur Ashe, I was beating No. 4 in the world, about to beat her," Oudin said to ESPN. "Just a little bit of everything. A lot of things were going through my mind."

She will now face 29th-ranked Maria Sharapova, who has only dropped six games in two matches.

Meanwhile, Venus Williams recovered nicely from a first-round hiccup in the women's bracket, winning in a much easier 6-4, 6-2 fashion than when she was pushed to three games in the opener.

Her sister, Serena, flew by Melinda Czink to vault into the third round where she will face Marie Jose Martinez-Sanchez. The pair also advanced to the second round of doubles competition, beating Julia Goerges and Arantxa Parra Santonja, 6-2, 6-2.

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